Sunflowers for the Bees

We all need a little sunshine right about now, so this week’s Feature Flower is…the Sunflower!
Sunflowers are outstanding choices for honey bees and local pollinators. They are effortless to grow from seed and make a stunning late summer-fall feature in any garden. Although I have many favorite sunflower varieties, let’s focus on my top choice when planting for the pollinators… the Lemon Queen Sunflower (Helianthus annuus).

Lemon Queen Sunflowers are a must for any gardener wanting to help out the local pollinators. These bright yellow beauties have a rich brown center and bloom from summer to frost. Lemon Queen sunflowers kick off their bloom with one main 7” flower. The plant will then continue with numerous (smaller) secondary blooms.
Height: 5’-7’ tall
Bloom Color:bright yellow
Bloom Time: summer-frost
Light: full sun
Hardiness: annual

Due to root sensitivity, I always directly sow my sunflower seeds 2 weeks after my last frost date. (May 15). I continue to sow seeds weekly, until the end of June. This provides a much longer forage time for our sweet bees and local pollinators.

Some of my other favorite sunflower varieties are:
-Mammoth Russian
-Vanilla Ice
-Dwarf Sunspot
-Dwarf Elves Blend
-Dwarf Teddy Bear

Note: I order my sunflower varieties from Botanical Interests

Our motto is simple…
“Plant a Flower, Save a Bee”!

💚Roda

All photography belongs to Indigo Acres Apiary.